Metathesis polymerization is a synthetic route utilized to prepare unsaturated linear polymers and interpolymers with known macrostructure and known microstructure. The microstructure of the resulting polymer is directly derived from the structural composition of the monomer(s) utilized in the polymerization.
Interpolymers are a class of macromolecule constructed using two or more different monomer units or polymers. Examples of interpolymers include copolymers, terpolymers, block polymers, and graft polymers. Interpolymers often have characteristics and properties that are a hybrid of its components. The preparation of interpolymers allow for the expansion of available polymer characteristics and for the accessibility of physical properties inaccessible via homopolymers.
Functional polymers are useful and technologically important materials. The presence of functional groups is utilized to modify the physical characteristics of polymers in which groups are incorporated. Polymers with terminal functional groups contain reactive sites at the end of the polymer chain. As a result, polymers with terminal functional groups are highly desired and useful to prepare block polymers and other morphological structures.